The one who's been there from the start
by Mells the Daydreamer
Summary: Alternative ending for The Iron Daughter: What if instead of following Ash into the mortal world, Meghan would've choosen to stay with Puck in the Nevernever to face the Iron Fey? Mostly Chasefellow (Puck x Meghan)
1. The choice

This is an alternate ending of The Iron Daughter by Julie Kagawa from the moment on when Meghan wants to follow Ash through the trod into the mortal world because he got exiled for being in love with her, of course I don't own the series and none of the characters, but it's so much fun to write about them :) For those of you who love Chasefellow (Puck x Meghan)

* * *

I turn around and look at Puck once more. The trod into the mortal world will close soon and this might be the last time I'll see him, because I am sure he won't want to see me after I do this. Leaving the Nevernever behind while it's threatened by the iron fearys. The courts will fight and I am leaving, because I don't care. But actually I do! I do care about this fascinating world and of course I care about Puck!

His head is lowered and he hides his face but I don't need to see it to know he's holding back tears.

Is this the right choice?

Isn't it rushed to leave everything I fought for in the last months behind, for a boy I can hardly figure out and who already changed his mind and left me once?

Should I really leave my best friend, whom I know since forever, behind?

_He could die_.

He could die and I'd might not find out and if I did I'd blame myself for it because I wouldn't have been there.

Suddenly I feel a pain in my chest. As if I can't breathe. The thought of losing him is unbearable.

How can I be so ignorant? This is a serious matter and I got so far by now. I killed the Iron King, and by doing it I became part of the events here. I refuse to give up. And I refuse to hurt my best friend like that.

Ash is important to me, but this is bigger than him. Everything that happens in the Nevernever has effects on the human world and I can't follow him while the chaos breaks loose. It's crazy to run off into the sunset with him while everything breaks apart.

Puck said he couldn't follow me this time and I understand it. He stands his ground, he would fight for his home and he was by my side whenever I needed it, so I can't leave him either.

My best friend who loves me, who fights - like it's a matter of course - by my side against every crazy thing in this world and kept me safe for so many years, hoping the day would come when I'd find out about this world and he could tell me who he was. The day he could be honest with me, because he didn't want our love to be a lie.

My Puck, my Robbie. The one person who had been there for me from the start. The person who broke Oberons rules and agreed to help me to find my brother, because he loves me so much. Not because I was the summer princess and of use for his mother, a certain other fey's reasons.

I remember the night I lost it over a riddle and Puck encouraged me and comforted me. The night he kissed me and I didn't refused to kiss him back.

By the memory I imagine the heat as he kissed my neck and how I craved for more but we got interrupted.

Oh, how many times have I thought back to this moment?

_Way too many times to go through the trod_.

I'm sorry Ash. But my eyes are open now and the one person who will always be there, who I can call my love _and _my closest friend is no one else than Robin Goodfellow.

I love him. I even loved him before I knew it.

I'm smiling at the thought, but also feel the guilt while watching the trod close. Ash left his home for me, but I'm unsure if he ever considered a place home after I visited the unseelie court once. He knew how much Puck meant for me when he left. He knew the risk of thinking I'd leave it all so easily.

The choice is made and I'm starting to walk back to the summer army, with Oberon at the front and his jester behind him, with closed eyes.

_He doesn't want to watch me leave._

I start to go faster until I run and hear a hiss-like noise from Mab's direction.

"Knew he did it for nothing."

Then she starts to lead her army back to the winter court.

"We'll meet later to plan how to overcome the iron monstrosities.", her ice-cold voice growls to Oberon's direction, as I pass him.

I can feel his look on me, and catch a glimpse of a smile.

Then I reach Puck and take his hands. He shudders and opens his amazing, but confused green eyes and looks at me surprised, then there appears a spark I've been missing since the night he kissed me. The light which bobbed up when he realized I love him.

"Thought you'd lose the only girl you can annoy by legitimately calling her _princess_?", I tease him and the widest Robin-Goodfellow-grin I've ever seen shows up on his face - didn't know _that_ was possible! Even though he's a thousand-year old legend, he's the cutest cheeky boy I've ever seen, in that moment and before he can reply to me I crush my lips to his.

Finally, after remembering our last kiss so many times I'm allowed to feel this buzzing sensation again. I can feel how his heart beats faster and faster, while losing the awareness of where's up and where's down.

At a point I realize I _really_ can't feel the ground under my feet anymore and then Puck's warm breath brushes against my ear with the words:

"Surprise princess!"

I open my eyes. We are really floating 5 feet over the ground!

Amazed I first want to ask him how he did this, then I understand how stupid that would be. Well, he's a fey and the infamous trickster of the seelie court, there's nothing you can't expect from him.

Abruptly we fall down and I shriek, but of course we land softly, with Puck carrying me in his arms, winking before giving me another mind-blowing kiss and there's nothing in this moment that worries me.

Everything that counts is that I'm happily in love with my best friend, Robin Goodfellow. With him I fear nothing, not even the war against the iron fey.


	2. Done whispering

I hope you'll like this chapter :) And it may could take some days until I update, that's just how I write. The thing is I always write on paper first and I'm too lazy to copy it on my computer, so one has to scream and kick the laziness out of me sometimes

* * *

Several hours go by, as we head to the seelie court.

I have mixed feelings about it, since my last experience there wasn't so great. Titania will make my life a living hell, that is for sure and I can't always hope that Oberon or Puck will defend me.

"I'll need to know how to fight properly.", I whisper to Puck, whose arm is around my shoulder. I feel him giggle and turn my head to look at him.

"It would be my pleasure to turn you into a kick-ass warrior princess.", he mutters back and I smile.

With a legend like him as my teacher I'll hopefully grow powerful enough to keep up with the summer queen's attempts to banish me.

Suddenly I get a warm feeling, it is as if something really comforting surrounds my body and I realize it's because of my feary blood, the part of me which naturally belongs here has woken up and demands to be felt. Even if I don't really like it, somehow Arcadia will always be a home, a place where I'm supposed to _be_.

I shake my head, remembering how I was treated here. A part of me might loves to hang around here, but I'm smart enough to know that I shouldn't be so calm. Everywhere are fey who only want to screw me over because I'm not worth being a princess in their eyes.

Another reason why I must learn to use my powers.

A dwarf kneels down as he watches Oberon and Titania arrive, but makes a disgusted expression as he's recognizing me and I know it's time to show the people here who I am and what I can do.

_I killed the Iron King for fuck's sake!_

Collecting my glamour, I grin at the little feary and concentrate on a flower vase on a sill of the little herb-shop behind him.

The flower moves under the magic, but something is wrong. I feel like I'm about to fall to the ground and that mustn't happen! If it does, the fey will think I'm weak and manipulatable!

The vase falls down on the dwarfs head and he lands on his nose. I laugh a little but then the strange pressure makes me trip and only Puck can prevent me from falling.

"Whoa! Hey don't give up so early, just some more metres until we arrive at the palace.", he cackles and removes his arm from my shoulder and places around my waist instead to back me up. Seeing the look on my face, he heightens his eyebrows wondering what's wrong.

I wait until I don't see stars anymore before explaining.

"Um, I just used glamour and suddenly felt weird."

"Why did you use glamour?"

Pointing to the dwarf who is cursing and holding his head, I try to understand why I had such a sudden attack of weakness. It wasn't there before, the last time I used glamour was when we fought Virus...

Even though he's seemingly amused about me irking the dwarf, Puck seems worried. I remind him of the last time I used my powers and see how his eyes grow bigger.

_Oh no, as if we don't have enough problems._

He wants to say something, but suddenly Oberon stands right behind him and a chill goes down my spine.

_Do royal fey always have to make themselves so important?_

"Goodfellow, I'd like to have a talk with you."

His amber eyes seem very stern and would have made everyone feel like a minion, but Puck just turns around, obviously annoyed.

"What is it, my lord?", he asks but something about his look makes me feel like he already knows what the seelie king wants to chat about.

Ignoring his jesters expression he starts:

"Considering the earlier events, I assume you'd like to share a room with the princess."

"Well, only if she wants to, then-"

"I'm afraid you're not allowed to do so. You must understand that we have to keep some dignity, so you shouldn't spend the nights together primarily."

_Wow, a great controlling father I have there. Shooing all boys I like away, will make me like you better for sure!_

I cough slightly to get his attention. Feeling his stare on me I get my courage together, swallow and say:

"_I'm afraid_ I can do whatever I want. Father, what is your point in forbidding me so much? I could have left everything behind today, but I didn't. And I'd like to ask you for making my stay not so hard and you to respect me and my choices."

I know my little speech is risky, but one day even the king of the feary summer court has to learn that he shouldn't tell a girl what to do.

It's silent for an electrified while and I start feeling like this was my biggest mistake ever, but then I spot Oberon's mouth corner rising.

"You proofed, you're a firmly princess.", he proclaims in an almost hidden proud tune, before disappearing again.


	3. Duties

Thank you so much for waiting for this update! I really had no idea how to go on at first because I already wrote the third chapter in a totally different way once and didn't like it so I wrote it differently :)

* * *

The first days in the seelie court were yeasty. All faeries were still pumped from the fight against the winter court and the upcoming clash with the iron fey, they seemed partly scared and partly larking by saying they could overcome the new faery type easily, if needed.

Right now, I'm supposed to follow Oberon non-stop. He says that's the best way to teach the royal manners to me. It's weird spending time with a person you're related with, but have no understanding or trust for that one, and still that person calls you "daughter".

I am trying to open up to him, so we can build up a more trustworthy relationship, like asking him questions about his past, his interests, whatever one can ask you to learn more about someone, but his answers are not clear and he always speaks of not losing focus on the important subjects.

So now I stand beside my father's throne, while he listens to messengers and civil fey, who want to know what happens next.

The witch we listen to, is in fact 600 years old and has the skin of wood, her eyes are two black holes and her hair is so thin that I can see every bump on the old women's head. Her voice reminds me of creaking branches and she speaks so slowly that I can't concentrate on what she is saying.

Her dress is made of fox skin, which reminds me of Puck who recently showed me some of his hiding places. Often there was a fox laying on his bed...

I barely see Puck these days, even though Oberon has not a problem with our relationship, he gives his jester lots of work, since he is his best and quickest servant. That fact makes my time here even more boring. One would think you can never get bored in a magical faery kingdom, but it's not as exciting as it seems, especially not if you only see little parts of said kingdom because you have to learn the royal ways. I asked my father several times for a day off, but he just answers, _surprise!_, with riddles.

But I have to admit it's not a good idea to walk around, while my glamour isn't working properly. When I told Oberon about my problem he said it's nothing, since I only have it for a few months it can be very weak, then suddenly strong. He thinks I should just wait, but I don't believe he's right. Something is terribly wrong and I need to work on a solution.

When I used my glamour the last time it was strong enough to make a school of iron bugs listen to me. That was iron glamour and I think it has something to do with that...

Either way, I guess I need more friends around here, because paranoia isn't really good for my health. And with friends I mean people who don't stab my back when I turn around.

Tansy is too dutifully, she'd tell Oberon or Titania everything they'd want to know. The seelie queen hasn't tried anything yet, but it's better to keep an eye open, she was too fake-nice in the last days...

"So will you do it?"

My father's voice interrupts my quoted monologue and I realize I lost focus. Again.

"Could you repeat that, I didn't understand it acoustically.", I ask politely and see that a light in Oberon's eyes changes as he watches me. Then he replies:

"Bring this letter in the chambers of our lieutenant. It's on the east-side of the castle and connected to the stables. Her name is Flame Paola and she's training now, if I remember her daily routine right."

My eyes go big. I'll get a change of scenery!

With an honest smile I take the letter and leave the room. Then I have to think about where I stand, and where I have to go. I know that the throne-room is the heart of the castle and the entrance is in the south, so I need to go left...but which way? There are too many options. Going back into the throne room would be too awkward to handle, so I think "Whatever" and go where my gut instinct tells me to go.

Some of the paintings on the wall seem familiar, when we arrived at the castle I already thought it would be better to keep some details in mind for coordination. The bad thing about it is that the paintings are, like everything in this castle, not quite normal. They don't talk like the ones from Harry Potter, but they stare at me and in their eyes I can see despair and madness, the longer I look at them, the more I feel like they are stealing something from me. Something deep within.

They crave for life. Like Mab's ice-figures they could be enemies of Titania and Oberon, cursed to live forever but not being able to live at all.

It seems like hours until I reach the huge entrance hall. Hundreds of fey linger around, some dance and sing, while others seem to just stare around. In the middle of the hall is a giant willow, a crowd is sitting underneath it and staring at some cat-like creatures who make a show: They climb on the tree and fight each other with strange orb's which explode and wrap their opponents in red dust. The ones who get struck seem to have lost and give the audience little gifts.

I watch for some minutes, then I see a knight pointing at me who says:"Look! The princess!"

The hall get's silent and I try to not show my uneasiness, then I stride through the hall and see how some of the fair folk bow respectfully and others whispering with disgusted expressions. I try to look each fey I pass into the eyes, hopeful to see someone whose respect is real. Someone who I could get to know...but it's hard to see through their perfect disguise. These creatures know how to wrap a coat over the truth.

Finally I am at the opened gate and see the dazzling sun. Without looking back I head to the stables.


End file.
